GNU/Linux System Administration :: course home page

This GNU/Linux System Administration course includes a methodical progression from basic to advanced GNU/Linux user tools and concepts; an overview of GNU/Linux services; a step-by-step installation of Gentoo GNU/Linux distribution, with post-installation tasks such as updating packages and the kernel. The course also involves a case study demonstrating the installation of RAID/LVM/Samba and the integration of a GNU/Linux file server into a Microsoft network environment. Please read the syllabus for details.

This course was given: from September 30th to December 16th, 2004; from January 6th to March 24th, 2005; and from March 31st to June 16th, 2005.

Course content

Though the syllabus is subject to change, it is a very good indication of the course content.

Suggested course book

Due to the variety of GNU/Linux distributions, and the nature of the free software developing model, books on almost any aspect of the field are out-of-date before they hit the press. That said, the "green book" has largely withstood the test of time because it discusses three distributions and was written by *real* system administrators of UNIX-like systems: http://www.admin.com/Pages/LAH.html

Where to buy? A good, locally owned and operated, computer-book store in Montreal is "Info Livres Plus" - and the book costs 78$ with tax.

What is GNU/Linux?

GNU/Linux is a free software UNIX-like computer operating system, composed of the GNU project, and the Linux kernel.

Free software is software that is bound with the following freedoms:

The freedom to run the software, for any purpose.
The freedom to access the software's source code.
The freedom to study how the software works, and to modify its source code.
The freedom to redistribute copies of the software, with or without modification, for a fee or gratis.

Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer.

A Unix-like computer operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to the UNIX system.

The GNU Project is a project started in 1984 to develop a complete UNIX-like computer operating system which is free software: the GNU system.

The Linux kernel is a free software UNIX-like kernel started in 1991, which now includes among many other features, true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared copy-on-write executables, proper memory management, and TCP/IP networking.

The bottom line...

When you think of "GNU", think of "a free software UNIX-like operating system".
When you think "Linux", think of just the kernel.
When you think of GNU and Linux working together, think "GNU/Linux".

GNU/Linux alternatives to proprietary software

Please use the list at the following URL: http://www.sot.com/en/migration/migration.shtml; however, if that link is down, please use this local copy.

The above list is based on the table at the following URL: http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-lin-soft-en/table.shtml; however, if that link is down, please use this local copy.

Miscellaneous info

The Gentoo mirror at RISQ is: ftp://gentoo.risq.qc.ca/
The latest Gentoo LiveCD release is located at: releases/x86/2005.0/installcd/install-x86-universal-2005.0.iso
The latest Gentoo PackageCD release is located at: releases/x86/2005.0/packagecd/packages-x86-2005.0.iso
The Gentoo website is: http://www.gentoo.org/
The Gentoo Linux/x86 Handbook can be read at: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml